Year: 2006

So Long Sawbuck

A couple weeks ago I bought a mouse for the laptop. A touchpad is OK, but if you canget a spot to run a mouse it is much easier all around. I did a bunch of research on the internet, my criteria were small, cordless, USB and have a scroll wheel.

I finally settled on buying a Logitech Cordless Mini Optical Mouse from Buy.com. Logitech must have over estimated the demand for this mouse in blue because they were offering a $10 rebate on that color. I probably would have bought the black or silver, but I could live with mis-matched colors for that ten bucks back.

I ordered the mouse. I printed out the rebate form. I filled out the form. I printed an envelope with the mailto and return addresses on it. I put the stuff right next to the desktop’s monitor awaiting the arrival of the mouse with the last piece of the puzzle, the UPC code.

Last night while tidying up on the compter table I came across the rebate stuff that had been missing from my conciousness since minutes after I placed another piece of paper over it, probably less than 2 days after filling out the form. Trouble is that while the rebate paperwork was out of sight and consequently out of mind, the mouse arrived. So you know what happened. That’s right, the mouse worked, so I tossed the package it came in out into the trash.

Too bad too, because that sawbuck would have covered the cost of the little ear bud headphones I bought tonight so that when I using the laptop in the living room I can listen to internet radio without disturbing Donna’s TV sound…

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

The Loud Thud You Heard

Was me crashing down from 40,000′ just like Oceanic Flight 815 (Sidney to LA.)

Last night was a new episode of TDTVS and true to my decision, I didn’t watch it. I was going to wait until September and watch the DVD of Season 2 in it’s entirety. Donna, who has less will power, watched it in the other room, while I wasted time on the internet with Radio Paradise playing softly in the background to mask any dialog leakage.

I’m not saying I’ve been a saint all this time either, I have pumped co-workers for a few details of what has been happening and I have peeked at a few screen captures from Season2 on some fan sites.

After talking with one friend/fan at work during break this afternoon, I fell off the wagon. I spent the next 45 minutes reading the synopsis of the first 12 episodes of Season 2 on the official ABC site.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

It’s The Taste Stupid

First we added bread sticks. Then it was stuffed crust pizza. Then two crusts with one on top. We’ve had Thin, thick and deep dish. Square shapes. Four separate pizzas in the same box. Two for Two. Three for three. Five for five. They keep inventing new gimmicks to get you to keep ordering their pizzas. The latest, unveiled using a Super Bowl commercial is break free cheese stuffed bits of bread around the edge.

They just don’t get it, make a good tasting pizza and people will come back without having to resort to trickery.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

Two For Tuesday

Tonight Donna and I went out for a scoop of ice cream. We went to a place on the south side of town, J. Flanagan’s, that used to be somebody’s home, but has been converted into a business like 90% of the places along this former residential street that has become a byway between two major commercial roads.

I got a cup of my usual, some sort of coffee flavored treat while Donna picked something slightly different than her normal. While waiting to be served I was magically transported back to high school by the music playing in the background. Tuned to one of the several local “classic rock” stations, the radio was playing the stoner national anthem, Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven.”

When we got our ice cream and sat down I heard “Stairway To Heaven” end and “Misty Morning Hop” start. I usually don’t pay attention to which day of the week I’m on at any given moment (except for Friday afternoon), but right away I knew it was Tuesday.

Started up, stil up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

Win a 2006 MX-5

The Kidney & Urology Foundation of America, Inc is raffling off a new MX-5. The drawing will be at the New York Auto Show on April 23rd. (Winners need not be present) Buy your tickets on line, a book of 6 tickets is $25.

I’ve bought 6 hoping to shorten my lead time to a new Miata by 4 years or so.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

TDTVS

That Damn TV Show Thursday we watched 2 0f the 4 episodes on disc 5. Friday night from 6 until 11:30 we watched the last 2 on #5 and all 4 episodes on disc #6. Last night we watched nearly every tidbit crammed onto disc 7.

Now that we have finished mainlining Season 1, what? They are about halfway through Season 2, should we jump in now and wait until summer to see the first 11 shows to catch up on the back story? Wait until summer and hope they run the repeats in original order? Or wait until September to rent the Season 2 DVDs and watch them forgoing Season 3 until it’s DVDs in September 2007 and so on? Or download the torrents and watch the earlier Season 2 episodes on the PC?

I can’t just join the show mid stream. We did the one season behind thing with the Sopranos, but that was easy because there was no temptation because we didn’t HBO. With Lost on ABC there will be that allure on Wednesday night to check how things are going on the island. I tried to use a couple of Bittorrent clients, but even with my high-speed connection it was going to take more than a day, then what if what you got wasn’t playable?

My vote is to wait. Donna will probably want to start watching episode 12 of season2 this Wednesday. Family crisis in the making. This may be more of a marriage stability test than doing a Time/Speed/Distance Rally in the Miata.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

4 8 15 16 23 42

4 8 15 16 23 42The Powerball Lottery is worth like a hundred eighty million bucks. I think I could quit my job with that kind of money.

Donna and I have our ticket, we bought a quick pick a couple weeks ago with 10 plays, so it is good until the 25th of this month. For the three draws we have been through since we bought the ticket, we have not had a single number match anywhere. Maybe tonight’s the night. If I stop posting here after tonight, check the Powerball site to see if the winning numbers were 1 39 40 42 47 17, that’ll explain it.

Once the jackpot climbs over a 120 million or so there is a guy at work that goes around and collects from a group of us so we can increase our odds slightly. It started out with about a half dozen folks playing, but the number has grown to nearly 30. After all, once you have played once, you can’t get back out, how would you feel if 25 of your co-workers walked in and told the boss to take his job and shove it while you had to stay behind because you wouldn’t cough up a measly buck? So I have about 30 more chances on those tickets for tonight.

Because of my current obscension with the TV show “Lost” I gave a brief thought to playing the numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42, but decided against it after what happens to Hurley when he won over a $150 million using them.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 34